Soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptor 2 in urine is a potential biomarker for noninvasive diagnosis of malaria during pregnancy
Background. During pregnancy, the placenta is inaccessible for diagnosis of placental malaria (PM), but soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptors (sTNFR) are elevated in the plasma of women with PM.Methods. In this study, sTNFR-1 and sTNFR-2 were quantified in urine of pregnant and nonpregnant Cameroonian women who were positive or negative for malaria by blood-smear microscopy.Results. […]
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Utilization in Zimbabwe: Retrospective Review of Harare Ambulance System Reports
Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) are a critical but often overlooked component of essential public health care delivery in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Few countries in Africa have established EMS and there is scant literature to provide guidance for EMS growth. Objective: This study aimed to characterize EMS utilization in Harare, Zimbabwe in order to […]
The COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare systems in Africa: A scoping review of preparedness, impact and response
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in both developed and developing nations alike. Africa has one of the weakest health systems globally, but there is limited evidence on how the region is prepared for, impacted by and responded to the pandemic. Methods We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL to search […]
An ecological study on the association between universal health service coverage index, health expenditures, and early childhood caries
Background: Universal health care (UHC) may assist families whose children are most prone to early childhood caries (ECC) in accessing dental treatment and prevention. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between UHC, health expenditure and the global prevalence of ECC. Methods: Health expenditure as percentage of gross domestic product, UHC service […]
Weight gain during pregnancy among women initiating dolutegravir in Botswana
Background: Recent data suggests clinically significant weight gain among non-pregnant HIV-positive adults after starting dolutegravir-based ART (DTG). Excess or insufficient weight gain in pregnancy could adversely impact pregnancy outcomes, but data for pregnant women receiving DTG are limited. Methods: The Tsepamo Study captured data at delivery sites in Botswana from 2014 to 2019. HIV testing, […]
Scaling up context-tailored clinical guidelines and training to improve childbirth care in urban, low-resource maternity units in Tanzania: A protocol for a stepped-wedged cluster randomized trial with embedded qualitative and economic analyses (The PartoMa Scale-Up Study)
While facility births are increasing in many low-resource settings, quality of care often does not follow suit; maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity remain unacceptably high. Therefore, realistic, context-tailored clinical support is crucially needed to assist birth attendants in resource-constrained realities to provide best possible evidence-based and respectful care. Our pilot study in Zanzibar suggested […]
Determinants of Poor Sleep Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Women Attending Antenatal Care Services at the Health Facilities of Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia: An Institutional-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Background: Women’s ability to get sleep can be affected by pregnancy-related hormonal changes or other external stressful situations like the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the proportion of poor sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic and its determinants among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) services. Methods: […]
Do active patients seek higher quality prenatal care?: A panel data analysis from Nairobi, Kenya
Despite poverty and limited access to health care, evidence is growing that patients in low-income countries are taking a more active role in their selection of health care providers. Urban areas such as Nairobi, Kenya offer a rich context for studying these “active” patients because of the large number of heterogeneous providers available. We use […]
Parental imprisonment as a risk factor for cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adolescent and adult offspring: A prospective Australian birth cohort study
Objectives: Parental imprisonment is linked with child health in later life. The present study provides the first prospective cohort analysis and non-U.S. based study examining parental imprisonment and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescence and adulthood. Methods: The study followed 7,223 children born from live, singleton births from 1981 to 1984 in Brisbane, Australia. Data on […]
Effectiveness of interventions to reduce household air pollution from solid biomass fuels and improve maternal and child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol
Background: A variety of public health interventions have been undertaken in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with household air pollution (HAP) due to cooking, heating and lighting with solid biomass fuels. Pregnant women and children under five are particularly vulnerable to the effects of HAP, due to biological susceptibility […]
